Can opener



Oct' 15 1935. H

I CAVE CAN OPENER Feb. 1,

Patented Oct. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CAN OPENER Henry Cave, Hartford, Conn.,assi'gnor to The Fuller Brush Co Hartford, Conn., a

corporation of Connecticut Application February l, 1933, Serial No. 654,594 e claims. (ci. ao-s) My invention relates to the class of devices which are employed for removing the tops of cans containing food or other matter, and an object of my invention, among others, is the pro- 6 duction of an implement of this type that is simple in construction and operation, and one that can be produced at a minimum cost while at the samev time being particularly eihcient in operation. One form of a can opener embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set`out, aswell as others, may be attained, is inustrated in the accompanying' drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved can opener shown as attached to a bracket which may be supported from a wall or other convenient place.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same. Figure 3 is a back view, the bracketl being broken o.

Figure 4 is a top view with the supporting bracket cut in section to show the tension device.

Figure 5 is a front view on enlarged scale showing the parts in inoperative position and with ya portion ci the parts omitted.

Figure 6 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the parts in operativeposition. Figure 8 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 8-8 of Fig. 6 with some parts beyond omitted.

Figure 9 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted'line 99.of Figure 6.

'35 In the accompanying drawing the numeral I@ denotes the base of a bracket having sides I I with inwardly facing grooves to receive a lip I2 at the inner end of a supporting plate I3 forming a part of said bracket, the latter having any suitable means for attachment as to a. wall I4 or other suit-` able support. A spring I5 is interposed between said base and the lip I2 to provide a tension on the plate I3 to prevent accidental movement of said/plate, the spring being secured in position in any l'suitable manner. The outer end I6 of the plate I3 is offset at its upper edge from the main part of the plate, said offset portion gradually decreasing in width from the upper to the lower edge thereby disposing this outer end in an inclined position. A can supporting lip I1 is extended lat-l erally from the bottom edge of the plate I3 against which lip the side of a can I8 rests in the operation of cutting out the top.

A cutter holder I9 having anges 20 is seated against the upper portion of the plate I3 and av cutter 2l is seated in the bottom of the holder between the flanges 26, and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing. A spacer 22 is placed between the plate I3 and the holder I9, and screw bolts 23 are employed to secure said parts rigidly 5 against the plate I3. A supporting hub 24 is secured in an openingin the plate I3 below the cutter .lust hereinbefore described, in the structure herein shown this hub having ashoulder iitting against the side of the 10 plate and the end of the hub being rivetedto secure the hub in place. f 'A carrier 25 in the form of aneccentrlc is ro-J tatably mounted in a hole extending through the hub ze, and as shown in Fig. e of the draw- 15' ing. and a feed shaft 26 is rotatably mounted in said carrier. A toothed feed wheel 21 is secured to one end of the shaft 2B and a handle 28 in the form of a crank is secured to the opposite end of the shaft. A friction disk 29 is located between 20 the handle 28 and the carrier 2t, such ,disk effecting rotation of the carrier 26 by force applied to the handle under certain conditions,'but permitting rotation of the handle independently of the carrier under other conditions. The han- 25 dle is secured in place as by means of a nut 30 fitting the threaded outer end of the shaft 26.

A slot 3l is formed through the hub 26 on one side thereof and a stop pin 32 projects from the carrier 25 into said" slot to limit the independent 30 rotation ofthe handle hereinbefore referred to.

In the operation of the device thestructure being affixed to a wall or other proper .support and the parts being in the position shown in Fig.

A 6, a can is placed with the bead at the upper edge 35 thereof resting upon the feed wheel 2l as shown in Fig.- 6 of the drawing. The handle being now turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs.

8 and 9, the pin 32 travels along the slot SI and the tension of the frictional disk 29 causes the 40 carrier 25 to be rotated, thereby moving the can up. into contact with the Icutter 2i and causing the latter to piercethe top of the can, and as shown in Fig. 'I of the drawing. The pin 32 eli- E countering the opposite end of the slot, further rotation of the eccentric carrier is preventedand the handle is now permitted to rotate vindependently of the carrier, thereby rotating the feed wheel 21 and rotating the can against the cut- 5o ting edge of the knife, thereby severing the can top from the can.

The inclined position of the feed wheel as shown in Figs. Gand 'I causes only the upper edge ofl said wheel to contact with the can, thereby 55 facilitating feeding movement of the can by rotation of the feed wheel. 'l

I claim:

1. A can opener including a support, a cutter secured to said support, a canier rotatably mounted on said support, a feed shaft eccentrically mounted for rotation in said carrier, a feed wheel secured to said shaft in cooperative relation to said cutter, a handle secured to said shaft, and a frictional disk mounted on the shaft between the handle and carrier to. create a frictional connection between' said shaft and carrier to effect simultaneous rotation of both by force applied to the handle in one direction and to effect rotation of the shaft independently of the carrier by more force applied to the handle in the same direction.

2. A can openera including a support, a cutter secured to said support, a carrier rotatably mounted on said support, a feed shaft eccentrically mounted for rotation in said carrier. a feed wheel secured to said shaft in cooperative relation to said cutter, a handle secured to said shaft, a cupped spring disk mounted on said shaft between the handle and carrier to create a frictional connection between said shaft and carrier to eifect simultaneous rotation of both by force applied to the handle in one direction, and means for holding said eccentric against rotation to permit independent rotation of said shaft as a result of more force applied to said handle in the same direction.

3. A can opener including a support, a cutter secured to said support, a carrier rotatably mounted on said support, a feed shaft eccentrically mounted for rotation in said carrier, a feed wheel secured to said shaft in cooperative relation to said cutter, a handle secured to said shaft to 'rotate it. a frictional ,disk located between said handle and eccentric to effect rotation of the latter by the former,` and means for holding the' eccentric against rotation to permit rotation of the handle independently of the eccentric.

4. A can opener including a support, a cutter secured to said support. a carrier rotatably mounted on said support, a feed shaft eccentrically mounted for rotation in said carrier, a feed wheel secured to said shaft in cooperative relation to said cutter, a handle secured to said shaft to rotate it, a cupped disk mounted on said shaft d between said handle and carrier to effect a frictional connection between said shaft and carrier yieldable to force applied to said handlefor rotation of the latter by the former by force applied to the handle in one direction, and a stop to limit rotation of said carrier in opposite directions to effect rotation of the shaft independently of the eccentric by force applied to the handle in the same direction.

5. A can opener including a supporting plate, a cutter secured to said plate, a hub secured to ,said plate and projecting therefrom, a carrier movably mounted in said hub. a pin projecting from said carrier into a slot in said hub to limit rotation of the carrier, a shaft rotatably mounted 2o in said carrier, a feed wheel secured to said shaft. a handle secured to said shaft to rotate said cutter, and a. cupped spring disk mountedon said shaft between said handle and carrier to effect a yielding frictional connection between said 25 handle and carrier to rotate the latter and to effectrotation of the handle independently of the carrier by the yielding action of said connection.

6. A can opener including a supporting plate.A a cutter secured to said plate, a hub secured to a0 said plate and projecting therefrom, a carrier rotatably mounted in said hub, a pin` projecting fromsaid carrier through a slot in said hub to limit rotation of the carrier, a feed shaft projecting through an eccentric opening in said-car- 35 v rier, a. feed wheel secured to' one end of said shaft.

a handle seced at the opposite end of said shaft, anda cupped spring disk mounted on lsaid shaft between said handle and carrier to effect a yielding frictional driving means interposed be- 40 tween said shaft and carrier to effect movement of the handle independently of the carrier by yielding action of said connection.

HENRY CAVE. 

